Page 12 of Saving Meri

“What the hell’s wrong with that?”

“Nothing if you don’t want her to heal. Meri needs time and space, preferably with someone who can offer her some nurturing guidance.”

Archer’s lips pressed into a thin line, a flicker of something flashing through his expression. Doubt. Bear took advantage of it.

"You take her home. What happens next?" Bear asked. "Are you going to watch her every second of every day? Control who she sees? Hover over her so she never feels safe on her own again?"

Archer’s glare hardened. "She’s fragile right now…"

"She’s a lot stronger than you think," Bear interrupted. "She doesn’t need a babysitter. She doesn’t need someone making decisions for her—structure and discipline, yes, but she needs to make her own choices and accept that those choices will have consequences. She needs to feel in control again. And she needs someone who isn’t going to let her push herself over the edge just to prove she’s still standing."

Bear didn’t raise his voice, didn’t lean into the heat of the moment. He just laid out the facts. Meri was his now. Not in the way those bastards had tried to own her. Not in the way Archer wanted to protect her. But in the way that mattered… a way that would let her piece together the fragmented pieces of her physical, mental and emotional well-being.

Archer studied him, breathing hard, the fight still crackling in his gaze. He wanted to argue. Needed to. But Bear saw it—theshift. The realization that, as much as he hated it, Bear wasn’t wrong.

Fitz let out a slow whistle, breaking the silence. "Bloody hell, mate. Didn’t think anyone could talk Vaughn down."

Archer shot him another glare but didn’t argue. Instead, he exhaled hard through his nose and turned back to Bear. "She’s still my sister. I’m not leaving her with you unless I know you understand exactly what that means."

Bear crossed his arms over his chest. "And what does it mean?"

Archer stepped closer, eyes like steel. "If she calls me, I come. If she tells me she wants out, I take her. If I find out you hurt her—physically, mentally, any way in between—there won’t be a force in this world that stops me from putting a bullet in your skull."

Bear didn’t blink. "She’s safe with me."

"She better be," Archer said, then turned toward the door. "But regardless, if she says she wants out…"

"Then she goes," Bear cut in. "No argument. But you and I both know she won’t."

Archer hesitated for half a second before shaking his head as he turned and stalked toward the exit.

"Damn idiot. Both of you,” said Fitz following behind. Before disappearing through the door, he glanced back. "You’re playing with fire, Cole."

Bear’s expression didn’t change. "I know."

The door slammed shut behind them, leaving Bear alone with the reality of what had just happened. Meri was his. Archer didn’t like it. Didn’t trust it. Didn’t trust him. But none of that mattered, because he’d done what was right for Meri, he’d entrusted her to Bear.

Bear was still watching the door when Lanie Vaughn walked in like she owned the damn place. That wasn’t a surprise. Whatwas surprising was that Archer wasn’t right on her heels, trying to drag her back outside. Guess even he knew better than to fight her when she was on a mission.

She paused a few steps in, scanning the space, then fixed him with a knowing look. “You’re pissing him off on purpose, aren’t you?”

Bear didn’t bother denying it.

Lanie sighed, shaking her head as she crossed the room, not the least bit intimidated by the man who had just squared off with her husband. "I’m not here to fight with you, Bear."

"Good," he said. "You’d lose."

She huffed out something close to a laugh, but there was no humor in her eyes when she stepped closer. "Archer wants to protect her."

Bear met her gaze evenly. "So do I."

"Yeah, but you’re actually going to help her."

That made him pause.

Lanie folded her arms, tilting her head as she studied him. "He can’t see it. Not yet. But you’re what she needs." Bear wasn’t sure how to respond to that. Lanie didn’t wait for him to figure it out. "Archer loves her, but love isn’t enough for what she’s been through. She doesn’t need someone who’s going to wrap her in cotton and shield her from the world. She needs someone strong enough to hold her together while she learns how to put herself back together."

Bear hadn’t thought about it like that, but it settled in his chest like the truth.

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